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Kevin Joseph Krebs, 31, of the 100 block of Conestoga Road, was first stopped by West Chester Borough Police around 12:41 p.m. Saturday, June 14, after a concerned citizen flagged down Lt. Jeffrey Dilz near the 300 block of North High Street, police said.
The citizen reported seeing Krebs standing behind a black Ford Explorer with the tailgate open. He allegedly watched Krebs strap on a tactical-style vest, revealing a handgun in his waistband, then throw on a bright yellow raincoat before walking south toward the “No Kings” rally with a flag in hand. The witness followed Krebs on the opposite side of the street and pointed him out to Lt. Dilz, police said.
West Chester Officer Adriana Zeiders then conducted a pedestrian stop at High and Gay Streets. When asked to unzip his raincoat and show his hands, Krebs complied, though he initially hesitated to admit he was armed. When questioned about an empty holster on his hip, Krebs told police the handgun was hidden under another layer of clothing in his waistband, police said.
Officers found a fully loaded Sig Sauer P320 in his waistband beneath layers of clothing, police said. He did not have a concealed carry permit, according to the Chester County Sheriff’s Office. Along with the handgun, officers found:
- Three loaded handgun magazines.
- Six loaded assault rifle magazines.
- An M9 bayonet knife.
- Pepper spray.
- A pocket knife.
- A ski mask.
- Gloves.
Police confirmed he did not have a concealed carry permit, despite his claim that it was at home. A search of records by the Chester County Sheriff’s Office confirmed he had no permit.
He was arrested without incident. No one was injured. You can watch the video of the arrest in the player below.
After being arrested, Krebs was transported to the West Chester Police Station. Lt. Dilz located his black Ford Explorer parked nearby and spotted an AR-15 style rifle on the floor of the back seat in plain view, police said.
He was charged with firearms not to be carried without a license under Title 18 § 6106(a)(2), a third-degree felony. He was arraigned on Sunday, June 15, before Magisterial District Judge Albert Michael Iacocca. Bail was set at $250,000 and posted later that day by a professional bondsman, court records show.
As part of his bail conditions, Krebs was required to surrender all firearms and reside at his parents' home on Yardley Drive in West Chester, authorities said.
Explosives Recovered From Conestoga Road Home
On Monday, June 16, investigators executed search warrants at both Yardley Drive and Conestoga Road. At Yardley Drive, detectives observed a green Harris police/military-style radio, a laptop, a phone, night vision goggles, and a gas mask in Krebs’ Ford Explorer, along with an LED strobe light mounted on the roof, police said.
At approximately 6:25 p.m., investigators searched the garage at Conestoga Road and found a capped pipe device with a circuit board timer and wires inside a desk drawer. Nearby was a sketch of three grenades showing internal detonator designs and two military-style body armor vests with bullet-resistant plates, police said.
The Montgomery County Bomb Disposal Unit was called in. Cpl. Andrew Noto and Cpl. Ryan Volk responded and confirmed the first device to be a live pipe bomb. A nearby container filled with gray powder, nails, and pellets was also located, authorities said.
A secondary search of the garage revealed a box labeled “no touch pls.” Inside, bomb technicians found multiple improvised detonators, a kitchen timer, 9-volt battery, and a pill bottle rigged as an IED. A lockbox inside the garage contained two more pipe bombs, an energy drink can and Coca-Cola bottle—each packed with powder and wired initiators—and 11 shell casings rigged as detonators, according to the affidavit.
Technicians also recovered a CO2 cartridge with electric wiring and eight orange plastic containers with Tannerite, a binary explosive powder, including two that were already pre-mixed, police said.
The bomb squad rendered all 13 devices safe on scene. No injuries were reported.
Krebs' Conestoga Road home, which he shared with a sibling, is located in a densely packed residential neighborhood with houses on both sides and to the rear, placing many people and officers in danger, investigators wrote.
Criminal History
Krebs previously pleaded guilty in summary cases for driving an unregistered vehicle and illegally taking wildlife.
His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, July 15 at 9 a.m. before Judge Marian T. Vito in Chester County.
Anyone with information is asked to call Chester County Detectives at 610-344-6866.
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